To Start Anew (AoT)
by The Almighty Afroduck
Summary: -WARNING: Manga Spoilers- Eren's lost Mikasa and Armin and was betrayed by all those he saved after he ended the war and also took part in reverting the Titans back to Humans. Nothing left to lose, he escapes with Reiner, Bertholdt, Ymir and Annie to the home of the Titan Shifters to make a name there and start a new life as a warrior. ErenxSurprise
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Hello everyone! If you've followed me from my other stories, you know who I am. If you don't, then I am the Almighty Afroduck (the best duck in the universe) and I'm here to bring you with a story! Be warned, this contains spoilers from the manga (including from chapter 62) and this will be an AU considering that everything I may base my story on may change, but I'll keep as cannon as posible if I can.**

**IMPORTANT: There's a song at the end of this chapter, and the narrations that occur above every verse take the same amount of time as the verses to sing. Also, the verses are written like this: -_Take on me, Take me on_-**

**Well, without further ado, enjoy!**

**A Warm Welcome**

Eren rode through on his horse along with the rest of the Survey Corps. Most had been talking and laughing all the way back home to Trost, no longer any Titans left in existence. He at one point had believed that the one definite solution to the problem that was the Titan infestation was to kill them all. That changed, of course, when he realized that they were once humans too. All had had names, families and lives deprived from them. His large kill count did not make him feel much remorse, however. He would have preferred death any day before having to live with the fact that he ate someone without anything he could do about it. He remembered his father in a flash and felt a chill of disgust and regret at his actions.

He'd eaten only one person in his entire life and it had been the worst crime he'd committed his entire life, though miserably not by much. Amongst the Survey Corps final expeditions, along with some of the Garrison's and Military Police's troops thanks to Historia's safe transfer to the throne, the second-to-last mission was filled to the brim with casualties. It had been to the point that Mikasa had attempted to protect him and Armin from the overflowing waves of Titans. The result of that had ended in Armin being eaten and Mikasa falling to her death. The irony was so bittersweet, he could laugh as easily as he could cry.

The mission had involved going to the center of the Titan's least concentrated territory and having himself call them with the powers that came with being a Coordinate. None could have guessed how many aberrant types would have showed up. No matter how many hundreds of meters away, all had made themselves to their positions. Armin had been at a Titan's maw and there was nothing anyone could do about it, and one of Mikasa's wires had been broken by one of the monsters with truly serrated teeth.

He remembered how he wept as he held her in his arms as soon as the 'Cure' made its way to all of the multiple giants' nostrils. The 'Cure' was the nickname given to the substance that managed to revert al Titans to their pure human status. The formulas had been found in his father's basement, along with how to use his Coordinate in order to use it to keep the Titans in line and let themselves breathe the fume. The deviants that they found, however, proved to be immune to him.

Eren's thoughts returned to Mikasa's last few breaths, having both him and Jean at her sides, along with the rest of the remaining 104th trainees. It had killed him to know that despite having done everything in his vast amount of power, he couldn't save the sister that had taken care of him since the day he brought her to his home. After the deviants and other average Titans had been intoxicated with the 'Cure', the group of them buried her on the spot. He'd taken back the scarf he'd given her the day she her parents were murdered and now rested on his neck, giving him a nostalgic scent of the porcelain skin it had rested on before.

He remembered returning to the castle-like base in Wall Maria that the Survey Corps maintained. He'd gotten drunk with at least two whole bottles of vodka before he couldn't remember anymore. He somehow woke up the next morning in his bed, still fully clothed. From what he heard from others, Levi had come to confront him and apprehend him, to which he responded by throwing back numerous insults at the Commander. He had been surprised to hear that rather than beat the ever-breathing shit out of him, Levi only placed his arm around his neck and led him to his room. Apologizing and consulting him that day, he asked why he didn't do what he would have normally done with him. He said nothing, but Eren implied on his own that after the losses he took, Levi likely pitied and respected him. After all, he was never insulted with 'brat' or 'idiot' by him again. Likely because of the massive change in him.

After going through the greatest hell in his life, he stopped smiling. Period. All he had to show was an emotionless yet melancholic demeanor to his face. The same one worn by several of the Corps' veterans. The same one worn by Levi. On his horse, he could see how much closer to the district they were. It'd only be a few minutes before arriving. He looked at Jean from afar going on his own stallion with an expression similar to his own. After the major loss, both no longer viewed the point in fighting each other, nor where they as abrasive as they had been before. The lack of friction between them had opened a strong connection through trust. They, along with the somewhat melancholic Connie and Sasha, had diminished any rivalries they used to have after losing their closest friends. From his stallion, Jean met Eren's gaze and nodded, a gesture that was returned.

The rest of the ride was uneventful until their arrival. With so many more people inhabiting human territory, the streets were filled with them, making way for the soldiers they now praised. Some were humans who had lived their entire lives with fearing the Titans, others had been Titans for a lifetime. None of it matter any longer as they threw flowers at them with teary eyes. That wasn't enough to make Eren smile, though. Commander Levi Ackerman had been at the front with him on the right and Jean on the left. After Erwin's loss of his arm and Historia's uprise, Supreme Commander Darius Zackly retired from his post, which was then left for Smith to take care of. That left Levi as the Commander of the Survey Corps and Hanji Zoe as the Lance Corporal. At the end of the road was the Supreme Commander, Commander Nile Dawk and Commander Dot Pixis waiting for them, several of their troops to their sides.

As they got closer and away from the cheering crowds, Nile nodded his head to the troops, all of which pointed their guns at Eren. All went silent as he was shocked from the events taking place. He sure as hell had no idea what was going on or why, something he shared in common with Erwin, Levi and all those who had gone to the final expedition. One of the soldiers motioned him to get off his horse and stripped him of his gear as he dictated, "Eren Jaeger, you are under arrest."

He was then taken by soldiers from both sides, the two dragging him to the underground catacombs with a soldier following pointing the barrel of the gun at his head for good measures. Many in the crowd of the expedition, none from the civilians, shouted and cursed at the Commander, none knowing what the meaning of this was. Levi got of his horse and stomped his way to the three. "Care if I ask what the _fuck_ was that about?!"

"Yes, Nile, I think we're all interested to know." Erwin said as he turned to face the leader of the Military Police. He was unfazed by their glares, though looking somewhat guilty, and opened his mouth to answer. He was interrupted by Pixis, however. "It was my idea."

Both looked shocked at hearing the bald soldier's statement, him continuing, "The Titans have been eradicated, I know. I also know that the reason why that is is because of. This however, is something that's more than necessary, Erwin. You and I both know that having a Shifter alive among us is bound to cause fear in the inhabitants that live under our vigilance. It is cruel, and I shall die knowing I am the reason a hero was executed, but if we've stained our hands this much in order to gain mankind's freedom, and we'll have to go all the way to make sure we didn't sacrifice so much just to lose it all in a civil war."

"He's right, Erwin. Two years ago, I would have killed him just to experiment on him, but now this is the only reason I am going through with it. The last time we were in this town, it was being destroyed by him and that other female Shifter. And we took part of several more deeds like that in order to win this war against the Titans. If we can be safe, this is the way." Nile added, though with no eagerness in his voice about it.

Levi was about to seethe at the two men for doing something as stupid at this, but a defeated sigh from Erwin took him by surprise. He was even more shocked to hear from him, "I understand. I'll give the order for his execution within the hour."

Levi stared wide-eyed at the man as he turned his back on them and left as well as Nile and Pixis, leaving him alone and deadpanned in front of his soldiers.

Eren was shoved into a cell and chained to some very thick cuffs in the room. Unlike the last time he was put a prisoner, he had no bed in which he could sleep. All there was was the unforgivably cold and humid floor. The officers that took him there gave a last look of disgust before heading upstairs again. Then it dawned on Eren. All this time, he'd fought passionately for a race that was capable of enslaving their own kind. A voice brought him from his thoughts.

"Eren?! What the hell are you doing here?!" He paled as he looked at Reiner in a cell to his right. The small prison cell had been located at the end of a mini hall, the stairs at the other end. Two cells were in each side of the hall, making for a total of five compartments in which to put criminals in. Seeing Reiner there, captured, led him to connect the dots. True to his guess, Ymir, Annie and Bertholdt grabbed their bars and looked at him. He'd no idea of when or how they were caught, but he guessed Erwin found a way. And now he was here, to be murdered with them all.

"Eren! What's wrong?!" Reiner shouted, attempting to get a response from the man. His efforts were to no avail. Annie looked at him in shock, maybe pity, Ymir just shock, and Bertholdt just pity. He then realized the point of him being here. Of not knowing of the other Shifters' presence. Of being detained. He was going to be the show of the day at a public execution. Ymir looked at Eren and questioned, "Yeah, Eren. Why the fuck did they put you here?"

"HEY! SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, SCUM!" bellowed an officer above.

"_Well, fuck you too_." Ymir whispered right back at the man. The reminder of the officer that they were being held prisoners made Reiner lower his voice, yet he still tried to talk to Eren. "_Eren, talk to me_!_ Why did they_-_never mind. We're planning to escape and there's room for you!_

On cue, Annie showed a glint of metal in her hand, proving to be a key._ First thing's first, we need to_-"

Reiner stopped as he realized that that Eren was now looking at his cell's right wall emotionlessly, not listening to a word he said. Reiner tried whispering his name, the other three watching, each time louder until the officer above them shouted at the lot again. None of it had made Eren change in the slightest. The extreme change in his personality was not lost to any of the four, and it worried them to no end how even more stoic than Annie he was. Seeing Mikasa's scarf around his neck did not give them any reassurance. Reiner then sighed, looking at the ground dejectedly, before looking up and saying in a normal toned voice, "Eren, I'm sorry. For everything. For dragging you to this shitstorm of a war for being responsible for destroying your home, for _everything_. Trust me when I say that, I mean I feel like the shittiest person alive. So do Annie, Bert and Ymir. Everything we did, we did to reach the same goals you accomplished. Even then, we failed, and now we all regret having to turn our backs on the soldiers, _no_, the friends we fought with for years. We're going to escape this place and I doubt we'll be coming back, and you deserve to get a second chance. Please, just listen to us and come with us."

It was then that Eren turned his gaze to Reiner's again. The latter was shocked to see just how dead his eyes were. Yet somehow, he didn't give a sign that it was because of him. Instead, he turned to the right wall, sat down and began to kick it with his right foot in a rhythmic pattern. Reiner watched at him dejectedly just like the others and then turned to the three and whispered the final details of his plan.

It had almost been an hour since Eren had started kicking the wall, no whispering from the four or shouting from the guards making him stop. Rubble had settled on his cell near the wall, breaking down more and more pieces of the old stone. Pointless, really. Making a hole in a wall countless meters thick that would only lead to another closed cell was less than counterproductive. He had stopped after half an hour, turning his back on the wall and resting his head against the hole he made and sitting on the small stones he'd broken out. He then sat quietly, staring at the other wall without moving.

"_Okay, it's five minutes before they come down to get us. Annie, it's time for you to open the doors. Bert, you're helping me carry Eren_._ I'll be damned if we leave him to die after everything he's done to end this damn war. Ymir, when we get out, you'll be flanking us and watching our six_._ We've lost more than enough people in a life time, we're not leaving anyone behind now_." The three nodded as Annie silently stood up and silently started fidgeting with her lock with the key. They heard footsteps heading down and she hurried, trying to get the door open. Finally making it enter and twisting it, the key broke. The four looked bewildered at the small metallic circle Annie now held in her hands, the rest having been broken off.

"_Shit_." She murmured. The guards finally headed down, all pointing their guns at their heads. One looked at the broken off body of the key still lodged in her locked and laughed. "So close, yet so far. That was the lock for that lanky retard's cell, not yours you dumb bitch."

Any of the four would have insulted the man right back, but the fact that they were now facing their deaths overwhelmed them too much. The guards quickly got them out, shoving them forward and took them up. Tying their hands behind their backs and clearing their pockets, the officers took them to the platforms, all high and with five ropes hanging from them. The four were sent up as they heard a crowd of civilians jeering at them and throwing at them whatever they could. This wasn't put to a stop by the Military Police, who merely sneered at the sight. Just as the four stepped behind their ropes, leaving the middle one for Eren, a particularly large object was thrown at his knee. He knelt, on top of the platform, yet his rope at least seven meters behind. Before the guard could force him to get back up, he uttered, "_I wish to confess_."

The guard reeled his neck back, staring at him dumbfounded as he shouted, "What?!"

His outburst had everyone silenced, from the taunting civilians, to the motionless officers, to the broken Corps members, to the mourning Shifters, to the high Commanders. Eren said more loudly, "I wish to confess the terrible crime I committed, for I am guilty."

The officer snickered at him and took several steps back as he gave him room and solitude on the stage. "By all means, go ahead! Repent for all that you're responsible of!"

The officer left to join the crowd, knowing that in the case that should he try to make any sudden movements, countless officers were perched on the rooftops to shoot him. Eren turned to the watching crowd. "I'm guilty of a monstrous crime, a crime that should never be forgiven, a crime that only a fool would make!"

The crowd grew less scornful as they heard his tone grow louder and louder, a sense of dread creeping into them. All those that knew Eren, from those in the crowd to those behind the ropes, looked at him fearfully, never having seen any side Eren like this.

"I am guilty, _of allying myself to humanity_." Everyone was shocked by this.

_-And who, are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low-_

"_I am guilty of saving all of your worthless lives, a race capable of enslaving their own kind_."

_-Only a cat of a different coat, that's all the truth I know-_

"_I sacrificed everything for you ungrateful bastards. My friends, my parents, everything that I could have been_."

_-In a coat of gold, in a coat of red, the lion still has claws-_

"_And then, I get rewarded by getting stabbed in the back after everything I did for you all_. _But that's not the worst part_."

_-And mine are long, and sharp my lord, as long and sharp as yours-_

"_All of you have the audacity and stupidity to assume I'm just going to sit down and wait to get shot in front of you all_." He continued as he smiled for the first time a bitter smile. Now everyone looked in fear at him. His hand began to reach for a bump in the back of his dust filled pants as he grabbed something from his back pocket. He grabbed a particularly sharp stone he broke off from the wall and grasped it with such force that it broke his skin and inked blood. A small steam produced from his hand, as the other four Titan Shifters gasped in fear.

_-And so he spoke, and so he spoke, that lord of Castamere-_

"_You're wrong. I'm done with you shits, and I'm done with humanity_." He gave a final sinister smile to the crowd as he looked up and lightning struck him, blinding all and producing a shockwave that sent back the crowd, killed the officers nearby and threw the other four Shifters straight back.

_-But now the rains weep o'er his hall, with no one there to hear-_

The crowd looked at the stage and screamed in fear as a fifteen meter Titan appeared in front of them and let out the must bloodcurdling roar they had heard in their lives.

_-Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall, with not a soul to hear-_

**Author's Notes: For those of you who know what this song is, you the best. Anyone who doesn't, search it on Youtube by putting the lyrics and listen to it while reading the last scene. I hope you've had as much fun reading this as I have writing this.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Surprise! I update within a day's notice thanks to a miraculous amount of inspiration. For those who didn't know, last chapter's song was 'The Rains of Castamere', part of the Game of Thrones soundtrack (fucking amazing). Now here comes the next chapter, though you may want to know that I already have a few predetermined ships that I won't change (I'll tell you which they are when I get to them, don't worry). Thing is, they are a little unique (or not very popular, depending on how you look at it), but I ask (and beg) you, bear with me. I'll do my best to make an entertaining story. Also, I forgot to place the copyrights last chapter (so smartt):**

**Copyrights: Hajime Isayama owns Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan**

**Well, I'm a little excited about the last scene, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Rogue**

Reiner looked from the ground at the others. He could barely get up since his ropes had somehow stayed intact. The others had better luck and were no longer limited by the plies that had bounded their hands. It was then that he saw a giant shadow looming over him, blocking the sun entirely. He looked on with fear as Eren's Titan reached his hand over to him, Reiner not being agile enough to move away in his current condition. He was gripped by only two fingers from his feet, leaving him to look down at the ever increasing distance between himself and the ground. He took one last look at Eren, not being able to Shift without injury and regretting all that he was responsible for. He was turned around, back facing the Titan, but he could already tell he was inching towards an open maw. He closed his eyes, close to weeping for how everything had to end. Then he felt a sharp pain.

Reiner opened his eyes with shock as he now looked at his bloodied, free hands. He had at least lost his right hand's little finger and part of his left arm's forearm, yet there was no longer any of the strong material in sight. He felt himself being rotated, now actually being covered by Eren's whole hand and not being upside down anymore. His giant green eyes were filled with resent and anger, but now Reiner knew that none of it was directed to him, or probably any of them. His suspicions proved true when the giant hand settled him on his titanic clavicle just near enough his long hair to allow him to get a grip. The titan turned to the other three and grabbed them as well, placing them alongside the bulky Shifter. Though the four were shocked, they were more than relieved and happy to know that Eren was on their side, let alone saving them.

It was now that the crowds began to run and the troops attempting to start an offensive and stop the five. Unfortunately for the Military Police, none had brought any of their Three Dimensional Maneuver Gear. Not that they had much skill left in that matter. It was then that Eren began to change his stance to a runner's position. Just as some of the officers began strapping on the complex contraptions, he took off in a rapid sprint, leaving them to cough the dust he left in his wake. Some soldiers began to make their way towards him, and when Eren looked at him, he merely placed his hand to where they would end and threw them elsewhere. Being Survey Corps members, he made sure not to kill any by just tossing them away as far as he could with their maneuver gear intact, which would stop their fall. It was then that the first Military Police officer began to join the fray. The four Shifters cringed in fear as Eren kicked her savagely as soon as she got in his path in a way that not even Annie had done after she was caught. Knowing that he had gone from the hotheaded teen that wanted to kill every Titan in sight, to a stoic soldier, to now a broken Shifter gave them a feel for just how tortured he had to have been to reach that point.

Eren's run got to the point of being fast enough to leave all behind. By that point, he had reached a point a couple of blocks away of where he had placed the boulder that blocked the gate from Trost to Wall Maria. Knowing he had a few minutes, he grabbed the four in an uncomfortable bundle and quickly placed them on the rooftop. Reiner, in the meantime, had been mulling over the situation they were in. He understood why Eren had stopped, and quickly began to order, "Alright, Eren's saved our asses and has gotten us through for a good part. Now it's time for us to pitch in. Bert, we're going to need you to shift to your Colossal Titan and put us over the wall, you'll get out of your nape and run to us. Next, I'll shift, grab you four and jump down. My Titan form can survive the fall, but it's not fast. Annie, that'll be your cue, you're the fastest of us, so we need-"

He stopped when the four heard Eren punch the ground and kneel on his right leg, a defensive position of the sorts. Before any could ask, his skin began to grey to the shade of a dark stone, his whole body hardening with the ability that came with being a Shifter. Annie finally chose to speak and called, "Eren, don't harden now! You'll be immobile and right now we need to esca-"

But before he could finish, he was entirely engulfed by the material that coated the Walls' Titans. Unsure of what to do at what his intentions were, they paralyzed when pieces of the stone broke off in places that would render him fixed in his position. From his jaw, to under his armpits, to his palms, to the back of his knees, to his neck, it all broke and gave way to his raw, reddish muscles. That wasn't what shocked them. What did, however, was that his eyes began to glow a neon blue as the batches of his exposed underskin turned a charcoal black. Then, his muscles began to glow a bright orange, setting aflame all his exposed muscles. The intensity of the heat, which Annie had only seen in the fight before she turned to crystal, allowed him to move, and he stood up with such strength and agility that he roared to the heavens, cursing at whatever Gods there were that had damned him so.

Then, his glowing eyes turned to them as this time, he placed the back of his hand on the rooftop so they could walk to their previous place again. They made their way, Ymir cussing as a burst of steam burned her ankle, and saw how despite it took some agility away, he had kept a small platform of stone surrounded by burning skin on his right clavicle to keep them safe from his burning self. Surprised once more they were when a miniature cylindrical wall began to rise out of his clavicle at the edge of the platform, reaching Annie's neck and protecting them from any outsider that would attempt to harm them.

He began to walk in an eerily relaxed matter, each step leaving a burnt crater in its wake. Those didn't diminish the thunder that sounded every time he set his foot down, similar to how Reiner's Titan walked. The key difference between the two was where Reiner had exposed skin as a weakness, Eren's was burning too furiously to allow anyone to harm him. That was without counting the unadulterated amount of speed and agility that logically accompanied being superheated. In every sense of the way, he was the most perfect, deadliest Titan. Ironic how by learning to use the ability every Shifter had along with having more reserves of adrenaline than anyone else gave way for a perfect combo.

"Since when did Eren learn to harden his skin?" Bertholdt murmured in fear as he looked on forward, having have seated down in the platform and holding on to the edges. The four looked at each other, keeping in a permanent state of surprise as the Eren that they rested on continued to astonish them at every turn. Reiner shook his head and said, "Well, it doesn't matter, Eren may now be able to get us to the Wall safely, but we still need to get over-"

A loud grunt interrupted them as the four looked at the Titan with intense determination in his eyes. It was then that the four paled entirely as they realized _exactly_ what he was planning to do. Wordlessly, they all lay on the floor cramped, making sure to leave no part of their bodies out in the open.

…

Erwin looked on from on top of a building near the sealed exit of the Trost District. He, the other high Commanders, and a select few trustworthy and talented soldier stood on the twenty meter tall structure. He had scolded the two Commanders and admitted his mistake when Eren escaped from his prison. Rather than chase him along with the other soldiers, he stood where he hoped they would eventually end up escaping. Though he understood that it was in self-defense, he knew that there was no longer any chance of taking Eren alive after having knowingly killed at least thirty different members of the Military Police and breaking out the other four Shifters. He sighed at his foolish mistake. Though he knew that sometimes he had to gamble it all to win, he knew that it could also result in the ultimate loss. And morally, it was in all respects.

Hundreds of soldiers manned the Wall and setting up the cannons while hundreds more were perched on countless other rooftops nearby. All civilians had been evacuated from the area, no longer risking their lives at the possible battle that was about to ensue. A titanic roar ended his trail of thoughts, realizing Eren was nearby. Though while he could not sense what it was, there was something deranged in his bellow. That wrecked his already tense nerves. A soldier on top of another rooftop began to shout, "Alright, that Titan's heading this way and it's going to try to escape. Remember your orders and do not let him or any of the other prisoners escape, it's time to-"

The woman stopped immediately when she thought she heard a thunder. But then it came again, and again, and again, each time louder at it neared them. That was when Erwin realized exactly what it was. One step behind the building at the end of the street paralyzed the small army, as step by step, the creature in question came into their view. A burning Titan made of stone glared at them as he stopped his trajectory and stood still. All were paralyzed not knowing the significance of the danger they were in. Then, it got into a running position. He heard Nile mutter in absolute terror, "_No way_."

Then he charge. Each stomp a powerful thunder, the buildings at his sides at the end of the road crumbled to the ground from the strength of his start. Going at a blaring, rhythmic beat, the Titan ran closer, intent of destroying the _entire boul_der it had set years ago. Halfway there, someone managed to wake from their stupor and screamed, "_SHOOT IT_!"

Everyone fired, but only three managed to hit him head on. All of them looked on as the burning Titan ran unfazed, only increasing his speed. When Erwin saw just how much brighter his skin below the stones was, he bellowed, "ALL TROOPS! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY AND ABANDON THE WALLS!"

All used their gears as they hopped away from the running golem. Eren glowed brighter and brighter until the flames turned to a near-white yellow. The second he crashed, a scorching explosion erupted from the collision. Where there once was a sixty meter wall and a twenty meter boulder now lay a forty meter breach equally as tall as wide. Soldiers left and right flew from the strength of the blast, thankfully being able to stop their descent with their gears' powerful hooks. They all look shocked at the damage the burnt behemoth had caused. The Titan in question had been gliding slightly from the force of the blow and was stopping his trajectory with his feet, ending up fifty meters away from the lot. Once covered in stone, the Titan was now stripped of it save for a bit on his clavicle that survived the onslaught just barely. It soon disintegrated to ashes, showing the four paralyzed shifters that had laid on top of him. The skin was no longer burning, and instead took the color of a seared black charcoal. Opening his maw, he let out enough steam to hide his body whole. By the time it dissipated, the Titan was much farther away, running south to the next Wall.

**Author's Notes: And so, Eren breaks down the very Wall he once sealed. Just imagine it like the Armored Titan's very first scene (including the amazing soundtrack (ESPECIALLY the amazing soundtrack)), except with Eren and in Trost. I really enjoyed writing that. Well, I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have had writing this, and all constructive reviews and criticisms are welcome. In other words, PLEASE REVIEW.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Hot damn, I'm on a row. I hope you've enjoyed last chapter's end and I bring you the next installment to this story. Enjoy!**

**Undesirables**

The ride had been long and rough, very quick too, but finally Eren reached his limit and managed to get them to the Forest of Giant Trees. The group of runaways was worried for him when after being put down, the Titan collapsed over. It was Reiner who first ran to the nape, intent on getting the young man out when he was quickly joined by Annie too. All having lost their gears, including their blades, they could only wait for the nape to burn out enough to get him out. Thankfully, Ymir still kept her knife and slashed it in a long, vertical line across the back of the corpse's neck. More steam produced from the wound despite already being abundant in the shambling carcass, but as soon as she did, his figure finally became visible. It took the four all their strength to pull him out, but when they did, they looked in horror they saw several tears in his clothes with the skin underneath ripped off. It hadn't surprised them, though. After watching Eren continuously run for what had probably been a couple of hours, it was bound to happen. Even if the trees hid it, they could tell by the darkening of the sky that the sun was setting.

Reiner looked at Ymir, the latter nodding knowing what she had to do. Using the same knife to cut her hand while further away from others, lightning struck her and reappeared in her Titan form. Looking at the makeshift leader of the five in question, Reiner motioned to Eren, then Annie and Bertholdt with himself for last. She nodded grabbing him with her left hand and jumping to a tree a little more deep in the territory than the outer rim and making her way up with her right hand. She left Eren at a very thick branch, one of at least two meters in radius, and hopped her way back down to the other three, who had followed her to the tree. She repeated the process three more times before setting herself on the branch, too. Making sure not to fall, she left the nape of her Titan and joined the others.

It was then that Eren awoke, and not in a very peaceful way. He jumped up from his position, not getting any further than on his knees, then collapsed on all fours. Then, much to the others' revulsion, he began to vomit a large amount of a dark, crimson colored bile. Through it, it was Reiner of course who came first to comfort him. He didn't react to the large hand placed on his back as he continued to convulse, letting out all the accumulated blood both in his stomach and in his lungs, though in a far smaller amount in the latter. All kept silent as he stopped and returned to leaning back to his spot against the tree. The stench worsened as the residual matter steamed like his wounds, yet scattering the odor far more quickly. He kept silent when his vision focused once more, looking at the four who looked at him in worry. He started to get up, "I don't know what we're doing right now, but we can't waste any time here."

His lack of energy gave way for Reiner's strong hand to sit him back down again. "Oh no, you've done a hell of a lot, _far more than enough_ to get us this far and safe. We're staying here until you've rested enough."

"Dammit Reiner, this isn't the time for the whole 'big brother takes care of everyone'. The last time we were here, Erwin stopped at nothing to get to you and me, and back then he had a crippled army for a force. Now he's the Supreme fucking Commander, so you can be sure he's going to send a lot more to stop us. And he's pretty damn good when it comes to hunting sitting ducks." Eren coughed back. Though he had not meant it in an insult, the reminder of how they had come to the forest the last time they had arrived brought a well of guilt and sorrow to both Bertholdt and Reiner. The latter of the two grew especially silent at the memory, leaving him incapacitated to attempt to convince Eren otherwise.

"Eren, you should know more than well enough that keeping the pace you've set so far, you may as well die from exhaustion. That's as brash as someone hotheaded can get, and that doesn't seem like the new 'you' I've seen of so far." Eren narrowed his eyes slightly to get a better view of Annie. While close-mindedness the others on subject annoyed him to no end, he kept his face clear of emotions.

"You aren't one to talk, Annie. You know damn well that that's the better option when putting it against having a couple thousand soldiers hot on our tail. Sure, I'll get a bit tired from all the running. _I_ can get over it. _We_ can't get over an invading armada." He shot back, though his voice was hardly laced with sentiments. Annie looked managed to look a bit surprised, a lot coming from her, when she realized just how much Eren was actually mulling the situation over. This was definitely not the 'suicidal bastard' she'd fought with two years ago. Ymir shifted the weight of her body between each leg, soon after voicing, "He's got a point. Staying out here, waiting to get shot isn't the way to go about it. It'd make for a hell of a story, though. To say that the same Titan that sealed Trost's gate and the one who also destroyed it was killed sitting on his ass while snoring on a tree."

Annie shot her a look that told her to get serious, which she shrugged off.

"I think the two of you are right. Eren, you may be a lot better than the last time we saw each other, but you're still human and you need to rest. We can't stay here for the whole night either since we can't afford to be found by Erwin's soldiers, so I think the best thing we could opt for is Eren staying here for a good hour or two while Reiner and I keep a look out to the north of this forest. Annie can borrow Ymir's knife and go hunting for something to eat while Ymir can gather up barks of wood we could use later on to cook Annie's kill. By that time, I'm sure the two of you will be able to come back with something worthwhile and Ymir can come to us in her Titan form and ensure us that we can move out again. We'll decide then who's best fit to shift into his or her Titan form and we'll leave the forest." It took everyone by a bit of surprise when they saw that Bert was the one who found a resolve to the situation. Though he was still naturally quiet, he was far more confident than the Bertholdt they'd known since training. Eren looked at him directly in the eyes to take a good look at him. "I vote for Bertholdt's plan."

The four were taken aback by Eren's far more adaptable behavior, but Bertholdt smiled slightly as he nodded at him. Reiner stood up and walked back to his brother-like friend and gave him a hard pat on the back and a reassuring smile. Annie placed her hair behind her ear and nodded at him while Ymir simply just nodded. The latter of the two tossed her knife to the blond, who caught it promptly and waited for Ymir to help her down. She jumped from the high branch and bit her hand, lightning striking her once more in the dead of the starry night. Her primate-like form was soon back up the branch again, grabbing Annie as she slid through the tree with her claw hands slowing her descent. She reached the bottom and hopped up once more to take Bertholdt and Reiner. She opened her very large maw, making Reiner sigh at what he had to do. Both entered uncomfortably, and she hopped tree by tree again until she reached the edge of the forest. She was back quickly, the Shifters' tree not being too far away from the northern end of the woodland. She then went down, looking for any good amount of fallen bark that she could bring back to their established branch. And with that, Eren was alone with his thoughts.

…

Ymir had only taken twenty minutes to find the wood. She hardly found anything good on the ground so she resorted to grudgingly ripping out parts of a tree. It had taken long as the tree's furthest layer was very sturdy not allowing any damage to come to the inner rings. As she finally got through it, she was relieved to find that the husk inside was far less sturdy and much easier to rip off. Grabbing a large handful, Titan handful that is, she made her way back to the branch were Eren lay. She saw him at the origin of the branch and placed the wooden material next to him, him not even paying attention to her. She was quick to get out of her form and join him. She sat across him, observing all the changes in him since they last saw each other. Though they had the same age, she had been taller than him just barely around two years ago. Now time had passed, and he'd gotten to be one meter and eighty-five centimeters tall, nearly as tall as Reiner. His hair had gotten long, resembling very much how his Titan wore it. He looked stronger too, not quite the bulkiness of Reiner or the agility of Annie, but a great intermediate ground. The greatest change in him by far, though, was his eyes.

He'd been looking off into the distance since she left him, and her arrival hadn't change his stance in any way whatsoever. The burning green embers for eyes that once represented mankind's rage had dwindled into a pair of ice-cold emeralds that showed nothing. She squinted her eyes a bit as she analyzed him more closely. Though almost devoid of emotions, what little sentiments were left in his eyes waited for the tears that never came. A constant state of melancholy lurked in them, giving him the look of a depressed veteran, someone who had seen too much and had lived through too much. Everything from his nose down was covered by the crimson scarf she had seen before worn by the only other trainee with some sort of oriental heritage. His sarcastic remark woke her from her thoughts, "Enjoying the view?"

No humor nor contempt in his voice was discernable, which left her to answer neutrally, "You've changed."

"And what led you to believe that?" He kept on nonchalantly, his eyes still looking beyond the forest.

"Well, the Eren I knew wasn't so damn quiet or reserved. He tended to shove his opinions and his ideas down others' throats until he got the point across." She jabbed lightly.

"I made a pretty damn big mistake back then."

"And that was?"

"I always wore 'my face' when talking to everyone."

"'Your face'?"

"Yeah, 'my face'. Everything I believed, I wanted to believe and wanted others to believe was plain for all to see, they knew exactly who I was. That was a mistake."

"Oh come on, sure they treated you like shit back at Trost, but can you really go back on everything you said?"

"I can, and I have. I was pretty damn wrong about that too, but that still didn't come close to what it meant to have everyone know what made everything that I am."

"And why's that."

"Ymir, you of all people should know the answer to that. If you actually don't, take a look at Annie and Bertholdt. Annie's been 'get out of my breathing space or I'll break your spine' since day one, and Bertholdt's been 'please don't put me in the spotlight'. Bertholdt I knew to be really sweaty and nervous and has lacked initiative, yet when we were going through the plan, he was levelheaded enough to think up of a good strategy. You'd think he's someone entirely different from the one you and I trained with all those years. Same goes with Annie, only she still doesn't want to take off her 'mask' and show us who she really is under all that coldness.

"Reiner, however, was abrasive, assertive and strong since day one. He was the last kind of person who would think about hiding his personality under a 'mask', and look at where that got him. Two years ago, he was having a midlife fucking crisis about who he was, what was right and what was wrong, for whom he fought, what his goals were and a lot of more internal conflicts. So like I said before, Ymir, you should know that only an idiot would be willing to let everyone know their most sincere self."

She pondered over his rather dark observation, looking at him as he had now shifted his dead gaze at her. "You preached about mankind's goal and freedom."

"Exactly."

"So you're calling yourself an idiot."

"No, I'm calling myself the wiseman of the fucking century for saving the people who called for my execution." The young man of nineteen years growled. Ymir could tell his stress and anger was directed at himself, not something she could really blame him for after all the different scenarios he'd had to endure. He then began to chuckle bitterly. She looked at him and found him looking straight at her, muttering, "Who would've ever guessed?"

She looked at him in question as she uttered, "What?"

"Out of all the idiots and heroes and soldiers and warriors that came to the 104th Trainees Squad, you were the only one who really knew just how shit went."

"What do you mean?" She questioned while looking at him nervously.

"Well, look at me. I came in with my enthusiastic fucking ideals and ended up with both of my closest friends, the ones I swore to protect, dead. Also, I was given the death sentence just for having the powers of a Titan. Almost everyone else who had the idea to free humanity ended up dead, too. Then there's Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie, who came here with the goals their superiors sent them from some fucking mountain south of Maria to take me. They failed and ended up _exactly_ like me."

"So did I, remember?"

"But you had the decency to live for yourself, Ymir. Not some authoritarian or morally ludicrous figure, but on your own free will and judgment. That's what I admire and envy you for."

Ymir looked at him shocked as he said these last words, and quickly followed, "Hey, that's not true. Yeah I lived for myself, but hell, it wasn't exactly fun depending solely on my own wits to survive. Even I know that there's a risk about me returning to those three's home and I might get executed, but that's much better than living longer alone. Trust me, I've tried that. You haven't."

"No, I haven't. But you know what I've tried? Loving my parents only to end up an orphan because I was too weak to save my mother and because I was forced to become a Titan by my father and then eat him. Then, I trained in the military to get assigned as the leader of a squad entirely wiped out except for my best friend who _still_ died later on. As if that isn't fucking enough, a squad was formed to protect _me_ and ended up dying because of it. I was betrayed by the very people I called friends, I was stabbed in the back by the very people who ordered me to save them and my sister, the very last thing that I had _died_ on my fucking account. _How the hell is living alone any worse than that_?!" She hadn't expected him to bite so hard at her attempt to make him feel better. Then again, she couldn't come close to knowing how shitty he probably felt. She felt like it was best to leave him alone until his voice stopped her in her tracks, "Ymir. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you, it's just that I've had that on my throat all day and night long."

She looked back, finally getting a glint of emotion in his eyes that showed remorse. This definitely wasn't the Eren she knew. She sat back down and tried to defuse the situation. "Don't worry about it. Let's just say I'm not the easiest person to deal with either."

He chuckled a bit before muttering, "At least you didn't go batshit insane whenever someone said the word 'Titan'."

She laughed somewhat loudly at that, "Yeah, you did have some pretty nasty anger issues back at training."

The two laughed for a bit more as they felt themselves get somewhat comfortable in the positions they were in. Ymir, still about two meters away from him, started to lean back to look at the sky. Eren pressed his back against the wall that posed the tree as he searched upwards like she. It was a beautiful night, one painted with thousands of tiny candles, all different colored and scattered across it. It was peaceful. Something extraordinarily rare for those who spent their lives fighting for their survival. Eren closed his eyes in relaxation for a second.

"**So you are the one they call 'Coordinate'**. **How interesting**." The two immediately sat up alarmed at the sound of the extremely deep voice. They looked through the darkness and paralyzed at the sight. The two were only two trees away from a Titan. A live Titan. And not just any of the kind, but one filled almost entirely with fur, it covering every part of it save for its torso and face. What was the strangest, and perhaps scariest sight they could see was just how expressive and controlled its face was. It looked genuinely intelligent, and it was smiling queerly at them, making the two unfathomably tense. It's grin widened in a very relaxed matter, showing two rows of serrated teeth. "**I'm afraid that we'll need you with us if we are ever to return to our former glory**."

**Author's Notes: And there you have it. A bit of talking from one of the least comon duos in the AoT universe. I thought it'd help mix it up a little. Also, what do you think of Beast Titan coming back to cause some seriously messy shit for the Shifters? Well, you'll find out how it plays out in the next chapter. I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I have writinng, and all constructive reviews and criticisms are welcome. Seriously though, a couple of reviews would be nice.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


	4. Chapter 4

**Redirecting**

**Author's Notes: Well, Happy New Years, everyone! Hope you've had some great vacations and that you've gotten to relax for a while (I sure as hell have). I wanted to say that the story ends here, in this fic. HOLD IT and don't worry. This fic was just me trying to see which audience would enjoy this more: those who read them under the Shingeki no Kyojin class or the Attack on Titan class. They're the same thing, I know, but I wanted to test how it went. Anyways, I'm here to tell you that I'm no longer going to write on this fic, but rather continue on the other one (which is exactly the same, and I've already uploaded 8 chapters). If you don't know how to get to it, click on my profile name and search for my fics. There are two fics under the same name. Pick the one with more chapters and you'll get to the one I'm still updating (which I will not stop until it's finished). So yeah, that's that. See you on the other fic, and please review there.**

**The Almighty Afroduck,**

**All Hail**


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